ROUND 1 GAME 1 PREVIEW | Blades, Oil Kings collide in first postseason bash since 1971
Key Players, Notable Stats, How to Watch and More
Let the games begin.
The Saskatoon Blades begin the 2026 Western Hockey League (WHL) Playoffs presented by Nutrien at Rogers Place on the road against the Edmonton Oil Kings at 7:00pm. Round 1 between the two Eastern Conference combatants is the first time Saskatoon and Edmonton will square-off in the postseason since the Oil Kings’ return to the league in 2007. The last time the Blades and Oil Kings went head-to-head in the playoffs was in 1971 before Edmonton relocated to Portland in 1976. Saskatoon fell in the point-determined series 8-2. Blades assistant coach Jerome Engele played in the series in 1971 against Edmonton and recorded two assists in five games.
“Focusing on our game, adjusting some areas that need to be better, and just tightening some screws in some other areas that need to be tightened up,” said Blades Head Coach Dan DaSilva on the series upcoming.
This spring marks the seventh consecutive postseason appearance for the Bridge City Bunch, the longest active streak in the league’s Eastern Conference. A young Blades team was swept in the first round last year against the powerhouse Calgary Hitmen. The two years prior, Saskatoon reached back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals, losing in Game 7 overtime in 2024 to the eventual WHL Champion Moose Jaw Warriors.
“It kind of felt like we were helpless,” said Blades goalie Evan Gardner on getting swept by Calgary, “It wasn’t fun for anyone. It wasn’t a fun series to be a part of, you know, kind of getting embarrassed like that. So, I know for myself, it definitely gives me a ton of motivation, and I imagine it gives everyone motivation as well.”
Saskatoon went 1-3 in the season series against the Oil Kings and were outscored 17-11. The Blades finished the season strong with a 4-2-1-0 record in March.
“We’ve had some good games against them thus far in the regular season, ” said Blades captain Tyler Parr, “They’re a highly skilled team, fast team, they can score a lot of goals. We’ve just got to play hard defensively.”
The Blades finished the regular season sixth place in the Eastern Conference with a 34-27-5-2 record, good for 75 points. The Oil Kings placed third in the conference with a 45-18-3-2 record for 95 points.
The good guys
The Blades scored 220 goals and allowed 224 in the regular season. Saskatoon’s powerplay finished tenth in the WHL at 24.3%, while the road powerplay was ninth overall in the league at 23.6%. Saskatoon’s 75.8% penalty kill was 13th in the WHL during the regular season but second best on the road at 82%.
Edmonton Oilers draft pick David Lewandowski led the team in scoring with 17 goals and 48 assists for 65 points in 57 games. Alternate captain Rowan Calvert had the most goals on the team at 31 and a team-leading 15 coming on the man-advantage. 2007-born forward Hayden Harsanyi owns the best +/- at +10. Gardner went 25-16-4-2 between the pipes with a .902 save percentage (SV%), 2.96 goals against average (GAA), and three shutouts in his third WHL season.
The opposition
The Oil Kings went 8-2-0-0 in their final ten games of the regular season. Edmonton’s powerplay was 22.1% in the regular season, good for 13th in the WHL. The host’s home powerplay was 22.9% for 13th overall. The Oil Kings penalty kill was fifth overall at 80.1% in the regular season and fourth overall at home at 83.2%.
2007-born forward Lukas Sawchyn led the Oil Kings in regular season scoring with 27 goals and 61 assists for 88 points in 68 games. Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Miroslav Holinka scored a team-leading 37 goals in 59 games, six coming on the man-advantage. Goalies Parker Snell and Ethan Simcoe split the crease throughout the season. Snell went 21-9-1-0 with a .895 SV%, 2.74 GAA, and three shutouts. Simcoe went 24-9-2-2 with a .888 SV% and 2.92 GAA.
Watch & Listen
Coverage for Game 1 of Round 1 presented by Discover Saskatoon begins at 6:45pm on 600 CJWW with the pre-game show, hosted by Blades Play-by-Play Announcer Les Lazaruk and Blades Communications Manager Tanner Chubey. Fans can watch all the action for FREE on Victory+ TV. Head to victoryplus.com to watch or sign up and make your free account today.
